​The new playground mural is finished. The design and painting was completed over the past few weeks by our amazing Art teacher, Ms. Follansbee, with the assistance of several terrific volunteers.

Ms. Follansbee details some of the beautiful design features below and why she chose them to grace our mural:

The '2' design reflects the interior hallway of our beautiful school with the international flags on display. The first time I entered our building, I was so impressed with this view and the building's unique, sun-filled design. Each time I walk down the hall, I love looking up at the flags and reflecting on the diverse parts of the globe represented by our students. I felt this bright, visually impactful scene represented some of the most unique qualities of our school - its extraordinary architecture and our wonderfully diverse students.

The '1' design reflects our school mascot- the mighty hawk! I depicted the hawk soaring proudly and spreading its wings to represent the mighty potential and ability existing in each of our students.

The '7' design reflects an iconic image of Roosevelt Island - the tram! The tram is truly a symbol of Roosevelt Island, and is another unique aspect of our community. I often see students collaging, drawing, or painting the tram in their own individual styles, and I wanted to offer my own version of the tram in action. This version of the tram includes some members of our school community: myself, Ms. Beckman, Ms. Lauraine, Ms. Val (from the cafeteria), along with volunteers Nathalie Chetrit (and her children Sadie and Enzo) and Theresa Zast who helped paint the mural! See if you can spot them if you look closely!

The far left includes a simplified receding Manhattan skyline, and the far right includes a simplified Roosevelt Island skyline. In many ways Roosevelt Island feels like a peaceful, green oasis in contrast to the concrete jungle of Manhattan, and the painting is meant to highlight this juxtaposition. ​We love it, and we know the PS/IS 217 students will too! A huge thank you to Ms. Follansbee and those who helped make this happen!